Supporting policies and instruments

Legislation alone will not be sufficient to improve the energy performance of buildings. BPIE is involved in a range of projects identifying additional measures and programmes to overcome the many barriers, such as market incentives or financial support schemes.

Several EU Directives provide a framework to improve the energy performance of buildings, but there is a need for more clarification of some concepts (e.g. nearly Zero-Energy Buildings, cost-optimality). Member States which have to adopt the regulations into national law and develop implementation strategies should have a clear reference framework of how to interpret the respective legislation.

There is a need to provide analysis and recommendations to overcome the many barriers that hinder implementation (e.g. financing, certification).

BPIE is involved in many projects and studies to ensure effective implementation of relevant EU Directives influencing national energy performance and efficiency strategies in the construction sector. It’s worth mentioning that BPIE is a partner in the EU-funded project, HRE4. This project aims to map and model the heating and energy systems of the 14 largest users of heat in the EU, to develop new policies at local, national, and EU level to ensure the uptake of efficient, sustainable and affordable heating and cooling solutions.